Next To You
by MarriedToNaru
Summary: When the SPR tackles a dangerous case that involves cheating husbands, kidnapping attempts and a jealous boss, it gives both Naru and Mai the opportunity to get closer to one another. But when Mai was only answered with silence after she confessed to Naru, she doesn't know what to do anymore.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters. :)

[Chapter One]

Mai was bored. Even though Naru asked her to file a lot of papers, which she had been doing for the past two hours, she only ended up doodling random song lyrics on the bottom of the pages. She knew Naru would get mad at her, again, for slacking off. The weather wasn't helping either, as it was raining heavily outside the office. She tried bothering Naru a few minutes ago, but he only shut the door upon learning that she wasn't going to say anything important. And Lin was, well, being Lin. And so, having nothing else to do, she just finished filing the last of the documents.

"Mai, tea,"

"Ugh, finally!" Mai stretched her arms and legs, and for the first time, she was glad to make tea for narcissistic boss.

After a few minutes, she handed Naru his tea.

"Naru, why on earth is your office so dark? Haven't you heard of lights?" Mai asked him, feeling scared upon entering his office with all the lights off. The only source of light was his laptop, which cast a faint glow on his face.

"Afraid that you won't be able to see my handsome face?" Naru smirked at her, knowing that those simple words would make her blush.

"As if! I don't even like your stupid face!" Mai spat back, all the while blushing.

"Ah, Mai, you're not a good liar at all," Naru said as he stood up to turn the lights on.

And indeed, Mai was sporting a lovely shade of red on her cheeks.

"You look like a tomato, Mai," Naru pointed out as he leaned casually on the table.

"Don't you know that I was a tomato in my past life?" Mai quickly countered as she covered her cheeks with her hands.

Before Naru could make another witty remark, a knock was heard, signifying the arrival of the client they were waiting for.

"Good morning! Please have a seat, ma'am. Would you like some tea?" Mai greeted as she ushered the client inside the office.

"Yes please, that would be nice," the client gently smiled at her.

"Please state your case," Naru asked the lady as Mai set down four cups of tea. Lin was seated beside Naru, probably taking down notes.

"My name is Hitsuga Yusaki and I own a resort not too far from here. The thing is, some of our female customers would get dragged down on one of the pools, and it had been happening almost on a monthly basis, which is not good for the reputation of the resort. There had already been three female customers who died; all of them drowned. Also, inside the hotel, there were sightings of a woman drenched in blood who seemed to be looking for someone. Sometimes, the woman would be seen in a honeymoon suite, and when she would vanish, the suite would be left with markings on the wall," she said while she glanced down on the teacup she was holding between her hands.

Mai involuntarily shivered.

"What kind of markings?" Naru asked her, looking even more interested.

"Writings on the wall that said 'He'll cheat on you, because you're not worth it' or 'Go to hell'. And the customers say that it was written with blood," Hitsuga-san answered while directly looking at Naru.

"Please help us, Shibuya-san. My children as well have experienced being attacked by these...entities," she practically begged him.

"What happened to your children, Hitsuga-san?" This time, it was Mai who asked her with a gentle tone.

"You see, I have a seventeen year old son and a twelve year old daughter. While the two of them were helping out in cleaning the hot springs, my son was suddenly hit against the wall by an unseen force, and when my daughter tried to help, the woman appeared right in front of her, then told her that she will soon be betrayed by someone she loves. Fortunately, my son got away, but with a hand print on both of his arms," Hitsuga-san explained further.

"And as for your daughter?"

"She told me that she would live with my sister for a while. I believe that the event traumatized her," she sadly answered.

Naru managed to steal a glance on Mai, who was looking absolutely terrified. He finally sighed and said, "We'll take your case. We would need a large room to serve as our base, and two other rooms for our male and female members. Please expect us at around nine in the morning."

After Hitsuga-san left, Mai sprawled out on the couch, suddenly feeling tired.

"Naru, thank you for taking that case," she said as she looked at Naru, who just grunted in response before entering his lair/office then finally shutting the door. Lin too, entered his own office, leaving Mai alone.

The next day, the team was assembled inside SPR, except for Mai. She was late again. It was four in the morning, and they had to leave within the next twenty minutes to be able to make it to the resort at nine. Naru already looked pissed off, Lin was typing on his laptop while sneaking glances at Madoka, Ayako and Bou-san were arguing over something, and John and Masako were having a polite conversation, while Yasuhara and Madoka were talking about Naru's love life, which was one of the reasons why Naru was so annoyed. After a good ten minutes, the door finally opened, revealing a breathless Mai.

"What took you so long, Mai? We're going to be late thanks to you!" Naru pinched the bridge of his nose as he raised his voice at Mai.

"Mai! Thank goodness you're here!" Ayako and Bou-san said in unison as they hugged Mai at the same time, ending up with another argument over who should have hugged her first.

"Ayako! Bou-san! I missed you guys!" Mai exclaimed, totally ignoring Naru, which caused Madoka to giggle.

"Mai!" Naru's tone silenced the room.

"I'm sorry the rain got inside my house and I had to keep it out somehow!" Mai answered in a tone similar to Naru's.

"What? Mai-chan, you live alone, right?" Madoka asked her, breaking the tense atmosphere.

Mai nodded. Due to this, Ayako and Bou-san hugged her tighter, while the others looked at her with concern. Except for Naru, of course.

"I can't exactly control the weather now, can I?" Naru said before heading out.

"Did something happen between you two?" Yasuhara asked her.

"It's just Naru being Naru," she answered with a small smile.

The ride to the resort was awkward. Mai was forced to sit between Naru, who had the window seat, and Lin, who was driving. Masako looked eager to take her place, but Naru shrugged her off, leaving Mai with no choice but to go with him. The sky was dark and the rain fell in heavy drops. She wasn't feeling well, having only an hour of sleep. She forced herself to stay awake, but after a few seconds, she finally gave in.

_Mai found herself suddenly standing in front of a window, with the numerous pools as the view. Her view then focused on one particular pool, where there were two people arguing. _

_"I told you, I don't know her!" the man said to the woman, who seemed to be seething with anger._

_"Don't even think of lying to me, Shiro! I saw everything!" the woman snapped back._

_And then suddenly there was darkness. _

_"Mai, you better be careful here, okay?" Gene spoke from behind her._

_"Gene! What's going on? Who were those people? Why were they arguing?" Mai turned around to face him and asked._

_"That's for you to find out. I'm going to show you one more," he told her._

_The scene changed, and Mai found herself standing in a doorway leading to a bedroom where two people were lying on the bed. _

_"Who is she? She's not the one from the previous vision," Mai whispered to Gene who was beside her._

_"Just watch," he answered gently._

_The man slowly sat up, revealing the fact that he was not wearing a shirt, and apparently, the woman too, was naked. The woman looked up at him, and Mai could see the guilt present in her eyes. Although the man seemed to not care about a thing. _

_And then a scream resonated through the walls of the room._

_"Gene, why did you cover my eyes suddenly?" _

_"Do you smell it?" he asked her._

_And then it hit her. The smell of blood. _

"Mai!"

At the sound of her name being yelled, Mai woke up with tears flowing down her face. Naru was holding her shoulders while Lin was looking at her with concern. Mai wiped the tears away with the back of her hand, although the smell of blood was still very fresh in her mind. She noticed that she was also breathing heavily, and tried to regain the normal pace of her heart.

"Good think you finally woke up. You were screaming a while ago," Naru let go of her as he glanced out the window.

"Another case-related dream, Taniyama-san?" This time, it was Lin who asked her.

Mai nodded.

"You kept on screaming for someone to stop," Lin added, looking very curious.

"Might as well tell us what you saw, Mai," Naru told her in a monotone.

Mai frowned at this, but nonetheless told them what had happened in her dream.

"I see. Then it's safe to assume that there would most likely be three spirits haunting the resort," Naru responded with a tone that ended the conversation.

After two more hours, they finally arrived at their destination. The rain was still pouring hard, so the team had to be extra careful with the monitors and cameras. Hitsuga-san was waiting for them at the entrance, and without further delay, led them to the room that would serve as their base.

"If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask," Hitsuga-san said with a smile then left.

"Hitsuga-san sure is beautiful!" Yasuhara exclaimed while placing a monitor on the table.

"What are you saying? She's married for heaven's sake!" Ayako answered as she hit him with her purse.

"She's married? Too bad. I'd have to go for the lovely Mai, instead then!" he cheerfully said as he sauntered over to where Mai was.

"But Mai's already taken!" Bou-san said, making Mai blush and aggressively shook her head.

"Mai, stop being childish and handle that camera with care!" Naru reprimanded as he sat down in front of a monitor and set up his own laptop.

"At this rate, Naru, you'll easily grow gray hair!" Mai shot back, making the others laugh.

"And finally you learn just how useless and hardheaded you are," Naru commented which made Mai fume with anger.

"Calm down now Mai, you know he's not being serious about it," John and Bou-san had to restrain Mai from physically attacking Naru.

"I'm going to bite his stupid head off and feed it to the sharks!" Mai yelled at Naru, who didn't even look at her.

"Excuse me, but may I speak with Mai? I heard that she's in this room and I..." a voice asked, making everyone look at the doorway.

"Kaname? What are you doing here?" Mai asked in an excited tone, leaving the others to wonder who he was.

"Well, my parents own this resort and I heard that the SPR was going to investigate. You mentioned at school before that you were working part time, so..." Kaname shyly told her.

"Oh, then, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Mai moved aside to let him inside the base.

"I was just going to tell you to be careful. And, I would like to ask if it's okay with you to...um...have a picnic with me later on. Although I understand if you're busy..." Kaname trailed off while looking down.

"I'd have to ask Naru firs-"

"Do whatever you want," Naru suddenly answered in a cold tone then left the room.

[Author's Note]

So here I am again guys, with a new story! I was inspired since I watched Ghost Hunt again and got struck with Naru's handsome face to the point that the feels came back and somehow I just had to let it all out XD I do hope that you would comment though, since this was rushed and hasn't been edited yet :) Have fun guys! =))


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters. :)

[Chapter Two]

- Day One: 9:48 am -

After Naru left the base, everyone grew silent for a moment before the giggles and snickers of the members filled the room. Masako left the base soon after, probably to look where Naru had gone off to. Bou-san and Ayako were sharing meaningful glances with one another, Madoka and Yasuhara were both looking at Kaname with interest, and John and Lin were conversing about something while finishing the setting up of the monitors.

"Did I say something to offend your boss, Mai?" Kaname asked her in a soft tone while gently rubbing the back of his neck.

"Of course, you didn't! He's just like that whenever he's jealous!" Bou-san commented which earned smiles and nods from the others. Lin just smirked at this.

"What? Kaname, don't listen to them! Naru's not jealous!" Mai countered defensively.

"We're not blind Mai, we know there's something going on between the two of you," Ayako added while smiling mischievously. Bou-san frantically nodded.

Mai sighed. It's been a month since the day she confessed to him out of the blue.

_Mai caught herself staring at the candid photo of Naru she took from the previous case. In the photo, Naru was looking out the window, the light blue sky gently illuminating his pale skin. His eyes seemed to be looking at something far away from him, and he looked very peaceful and serene. It was the only photo of Naru that Mai had; the only time that she had captured Naru's serene look perfectly. _

_"I try my best not to think of you, but somehow, you unconsciously make me fall in love with you even more," she muttered to herself while lightly tracing the picture with her thumb._

_"It's unfair though. You seem to have someone important in your heart. And I envy that person, the only one who's allowed to see your gentle smiles, knowing that I would never be that someone. It's like losing without even being given a chance to fight," _

_"I guess even after everything, I'm only ever capable of loving you, Naru," she whispered before finally putting the picture away._

_When she glanced up at her boss' office, it was only then that she realized that Naru had been listening to her all along. _

_"Naru!" Mai exclaimed as she quickly stood up from her chair. _

_"That is still my name, Mai," Naru said in a cold tone. _

_"Um...did you hear what I just said?" Mai softly whispered while looking down._

_"If I didn't, then why else would I be standing here?" _

_Mai blushed as she refused to meet Naru's eyes. _

_"Don't ever say anything like that again. You're mistaking me for someone else," Naru told her in a harsh tone._

_"What? But Naru-" before she could even finish, Naru's door was already shut. _

"Mai-chan! Are you alright? Is something wrong?" Madoka's voice broke Mai out of her reverie.

"I'm alright, Madoka!" Mai replied cheerfully, suddenly remembering where she was.

"So something did happen," Bou-san commented while appearing to be thinking hard.

"I already told you, nothing happened!"

Everyone laughed as Bou-san and Ayako kept on hugging Mai while she struggled to break free of them, seeing that it made Kaname uncomfortable. And also, they were hindering Mai's flow of oxygen.

"Um, Mai?" Kaname's voice made Bou-san and Ayako release Mai from their death grip.

"Where do you want to have it? After all, I don't know the place so..." Mai trailed off as she blushed lightly.

"I was thinking that we'd have lunch together on the restaurant. It has the most wonderful view of the ocean!" Kaname excitedly told her.

"I thought you said you wanted to have a picnic?" Mai asked, feeling confused.

"Well, I originally wanted to have a picnic, but the weather reporter just announced that the storm will probably last for more than a week," he answered Mai shyly.

"Ah, alright then! See you later, Kaname!" Mai happily exclaimed.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mai," Kaname smiled at her then left.

When Mai turned around to look at the others, they were all grinning at her, except for John and Lin, who were genuinely smiling.

"Mai-chan is going on a date later!" Madoka hugged her eagerly, as if she was the one who's going on a date.

"It's not exactly a date since we're just friends," Mai kindly replied.

"Hitsuga-kun looked really shy in front of you, Taniyama-san. I do think he likes you," John politely joined the conversation.

"By the way, Mai-chan, how do you know each other?" Yasuhara asked her, while the others also looked interested.

"We were childhood friends. And we also went to the same school. But I don't think he likes me that way," Mai answered with a light blush on her cheeks.

"He looks at you as if you're a long lost treasure," Yasuhara chimed in with a grin.

Mai just laughed at that.

- 10:52 am -

After an hour or so, the door opened, revealing a very stoic Naru followed by Masako. The room was suddenly filled with silence. Naru sat down beside Lin and started typing away on his laptop as if nothing had happened just a few hours ago.

"Naru-bou, where did you run off to?" Bou-san calmly asked him, while the rest looked rooted on the spot.

"Unlike the rest of you, I was working," Naru answered plainly.

"I can sense three spirits here. The two spirits only have a faint presence, but there is one spirit who seems to be holding a grudge. It's extremely angry at something, and it's very dangerous to cross paths with her," Masako shared, breaking the cold atmosphere.

"Her? The spirit holding a grudge is a woman?" Bou-san inquired.

"Yes. And apparently, she's the one who frequently attacks the female customers," Masako confirmed.

"From what Hara-san observed, it's best if the girls are always accompanied. And I mean _always,_" Naru said, glaring at Mai while emphasizing the last word.

"Hey! That's not nice at all!" Mai blushed furiously.

"And since when did the name 'Naru' coincide with term 'nice', Mai?" Yasuhara joked, earning chuckles from Ayako, Bou-san and Madoka.

"I guess I would have to cancel that lunch with Kaname then," Mai sadly mumbled.

"Eh? But why?" Ayako and John asked at the same time.

"Well, we have a lot of things to do, and according to Naru, I have to be accompanied, which would certainly make Kaname feel extremely uncomfortable," she answered while fiddling with her fingers.

"And finally you realize that, Mai. Now make yourself useful and make me some tea," said Naru while glancing at her.

Mai huffed and murmured "Damn that stupid narcissist," before making tea in the small kitchen located on the corner of the big room that served as their base.

"Ayako, would you mind telling Kaname that I would have to cancel our plan? Please? And tell him that I'm really sorry for calling it off," Mai asked Ayako while using her puppy eyes technique. [Which worked every single time]

After a few seconds of struggle, Ayako sighed and said, "He's the one in the information desk, right? Fine. But you owe me, Mai!"

"Thank you so much, Ayako!" Mai gratefully smiled at Ayako before she left.

As soon as she returned, Naru arranged the team _strategically_ to have partners, who were under the orders of never leaving the other whatever the situation was. Mai protested at this, but in the end, she had no other choice but to follow. Naru then instructed Masako and John to roam around the resort to locate and try to exorcise the spirits. Madoka and Yasuhara were asked to gather more information about the place through newspapers and other materials available. Ayako and Bou-san were to take the temperature of each room while Naru and Mai would set up the cameras around the resort where most activities took place. And of course, Lin was to stay at the base to watch the monitors.

- 3:51 pm -

"Why do I always end up with you? I could've gone with John or Madoka, you know," Mai muttered as she broke the awkward silence and glanced at Naru, who was bossing her around on where to put the cameras. They had already been walking around the resort for hours, and this was their last stop: the hot spring. To say that Mai was tired was an understatement. The hotel had eight floors, and they had to deal with some stubborn, stranded customers who refused to cooperate with their investigation. Although, when Naru used his charm [which was actually a threat], the customers hesitantly allowed them to place a camera inside the room; of course, without invading their privacy.

"Stop complaining. You're getting all the angles wrong," Naru replied tersely.

"Maybe if you actually helped me instead of just standing there and boss me around, I would've done it right!" Mai retorted as she placed her hands on her waist.

"I'm your boss, Mai. It's my job to 'boss' you around," he shot back at her.

"Stupid narcissist, workaholic bastard," Mai droned as she did everything Naru told her to do.

"I heard that," Naru smirked.

"Of course you did! That's why you have ears, you jerk!"

"And at last, you use that brain of yours," Naru commented as he turned to leave.

"Don't leave me here!"

"Why? Scared of the thunder and lightning?" he glanced at her with a smirk.

She really was scared of the thunder and lightning, but if Naru knew about it, he would tease her to death. Apparently, the storm wasn't going to let up soon, causing the other customers to get stranded on the resort.

"Of course not!" Mai bluffed as she set up the last of the cameras and started walking ahead of Naru back to the base.

"Mai, you're going the wrong way," Naru simply stated.

"I knew that, you heartless, conceited narcissist!" Mai blushed as she went the other way, disregarding the glare Naru gave her.

And then a scream was heard echoing through the long corridors of the hotel.

"That's Ayako!" Mai cried out as she quickly followed Naru to the source.

After a few twists and turns, they found Bou-san and Ayako sitting down on the carpeted floor, with him calming her down by gently stroking her hair and soothingly calling her name. If Ayako hadn't been screaming then, Mai would have teased her endlessly. Ayako seemed to be looking right in front of her, her arms defensively held up, although the object of her sight wasn't visible to the others.

"Ayako? Ayako, snap out of it!" Mai sat down in front of Ayako then slapped her face lightly.

It was only then that Ayako's eyes focused on Mai, Naru and Bou-san.

"What happened?" Naru asked as he leaned against the wall opposite of them.

"He _touched _me. And he kept on saying that meet him at midnight in a certain room to finish '_our business'_, then he told me that I should never tell his wife about it. I started chanting but he only laughed then smirked at me, saying that a simple ward wouldn't stop him from making me his," Ayako's voice was slightly trembling when she answered.

"Bou-san, where were you? I told you to never leave your partner, didn't I?" Naru asked Bou-san, who looked guilty.

"While we were taking the temperatures of the rooms, Ayako said that she had to go to the bathroom. I thought it was alright to let her go since the girls' bathroom was only three doors away. When she screamed, she was already on the floor," Bou-san scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"What happened? Ayako, are you alright?" John and the rest simultaneously asked, slightly out of breath from running.

Ayako smiled then nodded, visibly relieving the others.

"We were so worried. Usually, it's Mai who suddenly screams," Yasuhara attempted to mess around, but the concern could be heard clearly from his tone.

"Let's get you back to the base, okay? I'll stay with you while you rest," Mai told Ayako with a smile.

Back in the base, Naru was already typing like there's no tomorrow beside Lin, Mai and Bou-san were sitting beside the couch where Ayako was sleeping, Masako and John were having a small talk, while Yasuhara and Madoka were sorting out some documents at the table.

"Hey, Naru. Check this out," Yasuhara broke the silence as he handed Naru an old newspaper article.

"This event occurred ten years ago. It appears that a man was pushed to his death by his wife in one of the secluded pools here in the resort. The wife, who felt remorseful about what she did, jumped off the cliff on the farthest part of the resort and drowned. Her body was found a week later, as it was brought by the waves to the shore," Naru said as the others paid close attention.

"Two spirits down. But how about the third spirit?" Mai asked curiously.

"Naru, you might want to see this," this time, Madoka handed Naru a document written in English.

"Before the couple died, a young woman was murdered right inside a hotel room with only one witness. The witness was a man named Shiro Tomoki, who was later on killed by his wife," Naru continued.

Mai shuddered at the memory of her dream.

"Mai, these articles match your dream perfectly, right?" Naru glanced at Mai, who was trying hard to regain composure.

Mai nodded and told the rest of the team about the events that occurred in her dream.

"I think it's safe to assume that this Shiro Tomoki had been cheating on his wife," Bou-san stated.

Naru nodded.

"Then, is it likely that the young woman who was murdered was actually the mistress of Shiro Tomoki?" John added as Lin typed the new information while Naru was reading/writing something on his black notebook.

On the other hand, Mai was having a hard time recovering her usual optimistic self. The scent of blood grew fresh in her mind, along with Gene's warning that the case was perilous.

"Mai-chan? Is something wrong?" Madoka asked her which broke Mai out of her reverie.

"I'm alright! I just need to get some air. And I'll personally apologize to Kaname on the way too, since it was impolite of me to send Ayako a while ago," Mai stood up as she stretched before leaving the room. In contrast, Naru's aura visibly darkened upon the mention of Kaname's name.

"Naru-bou, don't you have to accompany Mai? After all, you assigned yourself to go with her a while ago," Bou-san pointed out, and the others nodded.

In response, Naru's aura got even darker than the weather outside.

"I could go and accompany her for now," John volunteered with a small smile. But before he could even step out of the room, Mai was heard screaming, "LET GO OF M-," then was silenced almost immediately. Whatever had caused her abrupt silence, no one had any idea.

The lightning sharply illuminated the base accompanied by the sound of thunder, and as soon as it was over, Naru was already out of the room.

[Author's Note]

Take note that the weather for the whole case would be harsh, to be exact, a thunderstorm. (To make things interesting, of course!) So here you go! I hope that you enjoy the second chapter! I'm already trying to start the action since it would be nice for the case to have some thrill and excitement in it :) Please read and review! And if you want to be friends with me/complain about something/suggest something, don't hesitate to message me, alright? :D Have a nice day, everyone!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters. :)

[Chapter Three]

Naru dashed out of the room, frantically turning his head in the three directions in which Mai could've gone through. Remembering her scream before she was cut-off, Naru turned left, following the apparent direction of Mai's scream. He didn't wait for the other members, as he thought that they would only hinder him at the moment. Besides, it would be better if they searched for Mai in another direction. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath, and then continued his search for the brunette. There wasn't any trace of struggle in the direction he went through, which was strange since Mai always fought back even though she knows that it would be worthless. This idea made Naru feel even more terrified than before.

Lightning struck again, causing the light to flicker. In a matter of seconds, the lights finally went out.

'Just great,' Naru thought before sprinting through the dark hallway alone.

- 9:16 pm -

After hours of fruitless search, Naru and the others went back to the base feeling defeated. Emergency lights were the only source of illumination, and it cast a depressing glow inside the room. Bou-san slumped against the wall. Ayako, who woke up only a few moments ago, was looking forlorn. Masako covered her mouth with the sleeve of her kimono while looking down. John was silently praying the rosary. Yasuhara, Madoka and Lin were trying to comfort Naru, but with no luck.

"Naru, we'll find her. Mai's tough, so I bet she's fighting whatever has her right now," Madoka soothingly told Naru.

Naru didn't respond. Instead, he continued staring at the blank monitor in front of him, while the rest were only seeing his tense back. In the first place, he had no idea why he let her go alone. Naru remained staring at nothing, as if his brain had shut down after not finding Mai. He knew that Mai was strong, but he also knew that she was frightened with no one by her side.

"Where could she possibly be? We asked every person we passed by if they saw her, but they all answered 'no'," Ayako said with a shaking voice.

"Please tell me they have a back up generator, and then we can see if the cameras caught something," Bou-san voiced out.

Lin stood up and connected two cables at a time to his laptop, claiming that since his laptop was fully charged, they would be able to see if the cameras caught something. The first four cameras had nothing unusual, but the fifth captured a few moments of Mai. Everyone quickly gathered around Lin to watch the footage. And there was Mai, casually walking down the hallway. But as she started rounding up the corner, an arm appeared from the other side of the corridor, effectively holding Mai captive by her neck. Mai screamed before abruptly going limp in the person's arm; then she was dragged away carelessly. Naru seethed.

"Lin, slow down the last 10 slides," Naru commanded in an icy tone.

As Lin did what Naru asked, they saw a glimpse of the owner of the arm, a young woman who had black hair and piercing green eyes.

"She was kidnapped!" they all exclaimed at the same time while staring at the paused video footage.

"Naru, a ghost didn't take her. I'm one hundred percent sure that the woman was human," Yasuhara specified while adjusting her glasses.

"But what if she was possessed?" John suggested.

"That's not possible. The spirits I felt were near the pools and the hot springs; none of the spirits roaming inside this hotel was strong enough to possess a person," Masako answered, her eyes glazing over in concern as she watched the others.

"She was kidnapped. Our Mai has been kidnapped by some unworthy lowlife," Bou-san stated in a cold tone.

"What are we going to do about it, Naru? Should we look for her now or should we do it first thing tomorrow morning?" Lin asked Naru, who was looking quite murderous at the moment.

"We're all exhausted as of now, and with this blackout, it would be almost impossible to search for her since this resort is enormous. We start looking for her first thing in the morning. You may go now," Naru made it clear that no one should be slacking off while Mai was missing.

The others started going to their rooms, leaving Naru and Lin inside the barely lit base.

"You're not going to rest, Naru? I'll watch the remaining footage and the base. You need to take a break for now," Lin told him as he arranged the other cables.

"What kind of _boss_ would I be if don't look for my assistant? She must be terrified right now, so I have no right to rest," was all Naru said before leaving the room, ignoring Lin's demands and threats.

In contrast, when Mai opened her eyes, it was bright. She squinted as her eyes tried to adjust to the sudden light after being blindfolded, with her wrists and feet bound and with a gag that obstructed her speech. There was no one inside the room with her, and there seemed to be no windows at all. A single door was on the far side of the room; but whoever captured her made sure that she wasn't going escape.

'Naru, anyone, please help me,' Mai thought before her eyes finally closed.

After what seemed like an hour, Mai shot up from where she was when ice cold water was splashed over her. Her feet and wrist were still bound, but the gag was removed. A young woman was in the room with her, holding a metal bucket in her right hand.

"Took you long enough," the woman said in a venomous tone as threw the bucket to the other side of the room.

"Who are you?" Mai asked, shivering like a drowned rat.

"That doesn't matter now, does it? After all, in a few days, you would cease to exist," the woman answered with a smirk.

It was then that Mai saw a spirit materializing behind the woman.

"Get out of here! There's something behind you!" Mai warned as she tried to stand up.

The woman ignored her and nonchalantly looked over her shoulder.

"I knew you would do a perfect job of capturing her, Suzuka-chan," the spirit purred at the woman, Suzuka-chan, whose eyes looked completely blank.

"We should leave her like this as a warning. After all, her knight in shining amour is almost here," the spirit continued before fading away. A few seconds later, the lights turned off as Suzuka also left the room, leaving her alone in the dark.

- Day 2: 5:39 am -

Naru had been walking around the resort all night, not minding that he was already drenched from the rain. He kept on looking for her, looking inside storage sheds, empty hotel rooms and even the hot springs. Naru knew that it was dangerous to roam around the place alone, but whenever he thought that Mai was alone, he knew that what he was going through was nothing in comparison. Then he saw it. Near the cliff, almost obscured by the woods that led to nowhere since the place was surrounded by the sea, there was a small shed that had no windows. It wasn't even on the map of the resort, which made it even more suspicious-looking.

He ran towards the shed and threw open the door, revealing a sniffling Mai with her wrists and feet tied by some thick rope.

"Mai!" Naru called out as he cursed when he saw the state she was in.

Mai looked up at her savior, and then fainted due to exhaustion.

- 6:03 am -

As soon as Naru returned to base, he laid Mai on the couch and covered her with some thick blankets that were inside a cabinet. Lin was already there, looking every bit concerned as he quickly turned the heater on.

"Naru, you have to change your clothes or else you'll get sick. And you'll be of no help to her if you were in that condition," Lin scolded in a stern expression, leaving no room for argument. Naru sighed then went to his room to change.

The door banged open, revealing the other members in their sleep deprived state. Ayako and Masako's hair were still not combed, which would have been funny if they weren't in their current situation. John, Bou-san and Yasuhara were still in their sleepwear, while Madoka looked like she didn't sleep at all.

"Mai!" they all cried out as they surrounded the couch.

"She fainted from exhaustion, and right now, she doesn't seem to be in good shape. Matsuzaki-san, please tend to her needs," Lin instructed as he went to the kitchenette to make some tea for when Mai wakes up.

Ayako quickly placed a chair beside the couch and immediately ordered the others to get some new clothes for Mai and some wet cloth. Naru returned after changing and saw that everyone was already assembled and were attending to Mai's needs.

"Is she going to be okay, Matsuzaki-san?" Naru asked as he sat down on the foot of the couch.

"She's drenched, so Madoka went to get her clothes. She also has a high fever, and her wrists and feet have some deep rope marks," Ayako replied, whispering the last part.

Mai started coughing and Bou-san was immediately by her side, a glass of water in hand. He gently helped Mai into a sitting position and guided her to drink.

"This place is too dangerous for Mai. We haven't even been here for three days and this happens," Bou-san said while he looked at Naru.

"I'm alright now, Bou-san. And if you try to kick me out of here, I'm going to throw this glass at your head," Mai said weakly with a smile.

Madoka returned with a new set of clothes and was relieved upon seeing that Mai was already up. Lin then entered the room holding a cup of tea.

"Mai, can you stand up? You have to change your clothes," Madoka asked in a soft tone.

Mai was carried to the girls' room by Naru, and then left her with Ayako and Masako to help her change. After a few moments, she was back in the base with the members of SPR surrounding her.

"Mai, lie down. You still haven't recovered so don't even think of arguing with me," Naru commanded as Mai muttered something like 'bossy narcissist', but followed nonetheless.

"We were so worried, Taniyama-san," John told her.

"To say that we were worried is an understatement, actually," Yasuhara commented with a sigh.

"But really, Mai? You step out of the room for a second and something like this happens. Just what are you? A trouble magnet?" Masako voiced out, acting casually but evidently looking worried.

"Mai, if you don't want Naru to forcibly take you out of the case, you have to be really careful, okay? Never go somewhere without any of us," Bou-san said as Mai just looked away.

"But we're glad you're alright," he continued as he hugged Mai tightly.

"You stupid monk! Just what are you planning to do, cut off her oxygen supply?" Ayako reprimanded as she hit him with the medicine kit.

"What was that for, old hag?"

"Who are you calling an old hag, you hopeless idiot!"

They started bickering like an old married couple which made Mai laugh.

"We're just really glad you're okay," Lin said with a small smile.

"We have to solve this case immediately. The sooner we're out of this place, the better. Matsuzaki-san and Bou-san, please take a look around the hot springs and do an exorcism if it's necessary. Hara-san and Brown-san, I want the two of you to check the small shed beside the cliff and also do an exorcism if necessary," Naru stated and then left.

"What do you want us to do, Naru?" Madoka and Yasuhara asked.

"I want the two of you to look for the daughter of Hitsuga-san,"

"Eh? But isn't she with her aunt?" Yasuhara questioned, appearing very confused.

"I can't explain it right now, but I feel like something is wrong here that somehow concerns her," Naru said with a tone of finality. Madoka and Yasuhara, having no other choice, headed off.

Naru sighed as he sat down on the chair that Ayako vacated. He glanced at Mai, who looked so fragile at the moment.

"It was horrible, Naru," Mai started. Naru said nothing, indicating that she continue.

"I was just walking down the corridor when somebody quickly grabbed me then covered my mouth with a cloth that seemed to be...drugged. I don't exactly know how, but when she put that cloth over my mouth, I was also blindfolded as I felt myself losing consciousness. When I first woke up, I was inside a bright room, but there was no one else. I think I fainted after that. The next moment, someone threw a bucket of cold water at me. It was a young woman who did it. Then there was a spirit who suddenly materialized behind her," Mai started coughing, and Naru swiftly offered her a glass of water.

"A spirit, you say?" Naru asked and Mai nodded after handing him back the glass.

"I saw here in my dream before. She was the one who killed her husband," Mai answered.

"Did she harm you?"

"No, not directly. I think she was somehow manipulating the woman, Suzuka," Mai tried to explain. Naru raised his eyebrow.

"Although, it's weird, Naru. Why didn't the spirit possess Suzuka?" she asked him as she slowly sat up with the blanket still covering her shoulders.

"The spirit is trying to evade us. If she possessed Suzuka, Hara-san would immediately notice it, foiling whatever her plan may be," Naru said as he moved to sit beside Mai on the couch.

"I never knew this case would be this dangerous," Mai told him in a lightheaded tone.

"It's my fault, I shouldn't have let you go alone," Naru whispered softly that Mai had to listen carefully to hear him.

"Don't say that it's your fault, Naru. It was mine since I insisted to go without having anyone with me,"

Naru didn't answer. Mai glanced at him beside her, only to find out that he had his eyes closed.

"He didn't stop looking for you last night after you went missing. I tried telling him to rest first, but he's an idiot in his own way. That's why he's dead tired," Lin told Mai when he saw that Naru was asleep.

Mai blushed as she gazed at her sleeping boss.

"Thank you, Naru," Mai whispered as she took her chances and leaned her head on Naru's shoulder while covering them both with the blanket. Not long after, Mai gave in and finally closed her eyes. Lin smiled as he saw the two teens fast asleep. No matter what Naru say or how he act, he would always care for the petite brunette sleeping beside him.

[Author's Note]

Hello everyone! I got bored so I quickly finished the third chapter :) However, this is not yet the climax. After all, I plan to have an action-packed story this time, so there's still more of where that came from! ^_^ I hope that you like this chapter! Please read and review! :D


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters. :)

[Chapter Four]

_Mai found herself standing beside a cliff, the one overlooking the stormy sea. The rain poured heavily and Mai couldn't even see anything ten meters away from where she was standing. When she glanced around her, she saw that there was a woman casually lying down on the ground, looking up at the sky as if she was stargazing. The wind ruffled both of their hair, but the woman acted nonchalantly, not even sparing Mai a glance. Mai moved to at least shield the woman from the rain, but a hand on her arm stopped her._

_"Gene?" Mai turned to look at him._

_Gene just shook his head. Mai couldn't do anything else but observe the scene in front of her. _

_The woman closed her eyes as if she was savoring the moment. The next thing, there was a man lying down beside her. _

_"Shiro? What are you doing here? Why are you doing this to me?" the woman asked, her eyes still closed. _

_"You never really called me by name, you know. You're not going through this alone, Hina," Shiro answered as he turned on his side to look at her. _

_"What do you mean? I'm the one who can't give birth. How am I supposed to make you happy?" Hina said as she turned away from Shiro._

_"If this goes on, Hina, you know what I'm supposed to do, right?" _

_"I...I can't-" _

_And then the rain poured harder to the extent that Mai couldn't see anything else. _

When Mai woke up, the whole team was already assembled inside the base, surrounding a chair where Naru was seated. They seemed to be studying something, as the other all looked genuinely curious about it. Mai then cleared her throat, causing the others to glance at her.

"Mai! How are you feeling?" Ayako strolled over to her and sat down on the foot of the couch.

"I'm alright! But my head hurts a little," Mai answered as she rubbed the sides of her forehead.

"Did you dream of something?" Bou-san walked over to them and asked.

Mai nodded.

"Glad you could join us, Mai," Naru smirked at her, causing Mai to glare at him.

"If I may continue now, Shiro Tomoki is the only son of the director of Shiro Enterprises, the sole lumber company here in Japan in the year 1964. In the year 1967, a marriage between Shiro Tomoki and Kinzaki Hina occurred. Kinzaki Hina is the eldest daughter of the CEO of Yuki Airlines, a company that was nearly experiencing bankruptcy. Basically, an arranged marriage happened so that Shiro Enterprises could take over Yuki Airlines," Yasuhara stated as he closed the folder he was holding.

"Does that make sense, Mai?" Naru glanced at her and asked.

Mai nodded then proceeded to tell them what she saw in her dream.

"If they appeared in love with one another, then why did Hina kill Shiro?" John asked Naru.

"Every marriage goes through problems, and the inability of a woman to give birth was a big issue back then," Madoka was the one who answered.

"But does that mean that the happiness of a marriage depends solely on children?" Mai curiously asked.

"It varies between couples. Before, the only purpose of marriage was for business and nothing else," Ayako replied as she absently stroked Mai's hair.

"But Shiro really did look like he loved Hina!" Mai defended as she remembered the part where Shiro told Hina that she didn't have to go through it alone.

"If Shiro really loved her, he wouldn't have cheated on her," Naru tersely replied.

"We still don't know who that woman is," Masako said softly.

"Ah, this is all so confusing!" Bou-san exclaimed as he clutched his hair.

"What on earth are you doing? You look like a retarded seal!" Ayako reprimanded as she kicked his knee.

"Oh, so _I_ look like a retarded seal now? Check the mirror, you old hag!" he answered defensively.

Mai and the others sighed at the sight of the two fighting over nothing.

"Mai, tea," Naru ordered as he stood up.

"Wait, you're getting your own tea now? Are you possessed?" Mai's eyes widened at this.

"Just what are you blabbering about, Mai? I'm only going to accompany you," Naru raised his eyebrow at her.

"I knew it was too good to be true," Mai muttered as she stood up and went out to the kitchen.

The walk to the kitchen was silent but not unpleasant. Naru walked beside Mai, who was fiddling with her fingers as she racked her brain for small talk but coming up with none. Knowing Naru, he would just ignore her if she said nothing important. On the other hand, Naru glanced at Mai once in a while, wondering why she was silent. He remembered the way he felt when he woke up beside her on the couch, with her head on his shoulder.

Mai looked exhausted then, her hands lightly clutching the sleeve of his black polo shirt, her lips partly open as she slowly breathed. Her body was leaning against him, but her company was very welcome. He spent some time looking at the sleeping brunette beside him, and the moment was broken when Lin cleared his throat. When he looked up at Lin, Naru saw that he was smirking.

'I'll have to speak with Lin regarding that matter later,' Naru thought with a smirk.

"Naru?" Mai spoke, effectively breaking Naru's train of murderous thoughts.

"What is it, Mai?"

"Nothing. I was only wondering what you were thinking about," Mai told him that almost made Naru blush. _Almost_.

"I was thinking about the mistress of Shiro Tomoki," Naru smoothly lied as he willed himself to look straight ahead.

"Oh. Whoever she was, I hope we finish this case soon," Mai absently told Naru.

After a few more steps, they finally reached the kitchen. Mai started to boil the water then leaned on the counter and waited for the kettle to whistle. Meanwhile, Naru sat down on a chair nearby and started reading from his black notebook.

"Mai? I heard what happened about you. Are you alright?" Kaname appeared on the doorway, looking concerned.

"Ah, I'm alright now, thank you for asking!" Mai cheerfully answered.

Naru didn't even acknowledge Kaname's presence.

"I was really worried you know. Even back when we were children, you were already a trouble magnet," Kaname told her as he leaned against the doorway.

"Some things never change," Mai laughed softly as she poured the tea.

"Then, don't hesitate to come to me when you're feeling down, okay?" Kaname smiled at her gently.

Mai nodded, with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"If you're finished there, Mai, then let's not waste time," Naru stood up and walked out of the room, with Mai trailing behind him while carefully balancing the tray she was holding. She glanced behind her and smiled apologetically at Kaname before catching up with Naru.

- 7:01 pm -

Mai was drying her hair inside their room while Masako was in the bathroom and Ayako was checking her nails.

"Where's Madoka?" Mai asked Ayako.

"I think she's in the base watching the monitors with Lin," Ayako replied as she sat down beside Mai.

"I think there's something going on between them," Mai smiled knowingly.

"Between who? Lin and Madoka?"

Mai nodded.

"Come to think of it, maybe there is something between them. After all, in our previous cases, Madoka always insists to watch the monitors with Lin," Ayako smiled back.

"How about you and Bou-san then?" Mai grinned evilly.

Ayako's eyed widened.

"What are you saying? That retarded seal doesn't even cross my thoughts!" Ayako defensively told her.

"Oh really?" Mai prodded with a chuckle.

After a few moments of teasing a blushing Ayako, the bathroom door suddenly rattled heavily and Masako was screaming.

"Masako? Masako?" Mai screamed as she banged on the door. Ayako tried kicking the door, but it didn't work. A second later, the others came rushing to the room, with Lin's shiki successfully breaking the door. Masako was sitting in the tub with tears streaming down her face. Mai was at her side immediately and Ayako ushered the guys out of the bathroom.

"It's okay now, Masako. Everything's okay," Mai stroked Masako's hair as Ayako clothed her with a bathrobe.

Ayako helped Masako into her kimono while Mai calmed her down by giving her some tea. After a few moments, Masako finally calmed down and claimed that she had to talk to Naru.

"What happened back there, Hara-san?" John asked as he sat beside her inside the base.

Everyone's attention was focused on Masako.

"I heard voices. She wants to have her revenge," Masako started as she looked down.

"Kinzaki Hina?" Naru asked her.

Masako nodded.

"She sounded very distressed, sorrowful and anguished. She wants to have her way with Shiro Tomoki's mistress. And then...I saw a memory. I saw woman she hated the most," she continued.

"The mistress?" Bou-san questioned.

Masako nodded again.

"That's not all. Shiro Tomoki's mistress...she looked like Ayako," she said as she finally looked at the red-haired priestess.

"Are you sure about that?" Bou-san asked her, clearly concerned.

"Yes. I'm sure."

"Then that explains the reason why Matsuzaki-san was attacked," Naru stated as the others looked worried.

"In my first dream, I think I already saw his mistress. The scene was kind of blurry, but I'm pretty sure that she did have red hair like you, Ayako," Mai added as she looked down.

"If the spirit is targeting Ayako, then why were you kidnapped, Mai?" Yasuhara asked.

"Kinzaki Hina kidnapped me as a warning," Mai said as she recalled Hina's words.

"In that case, Bou-san you are never to leave Matsuzaki-san alone. John-san and Hara-san, that also goes the same for you," Naru ordered.

"What about the room assignments?" Ayako protested.

"There are four beds in each room. Bou-san, Matsuzaki-san, John-san and Hara-san, you must stay in the same room. The rest stays in the other room," Naru added.

"There will be five of us in the other room? I'll have to share the same bed as Mai then," Yasuhara teased.

"There will always be one or two members in here to watch the monitors," Naru deadpanned. The others smirked with the exception of Mai and John, who looked curious.

"Dream on, Yasu! Mai's already taken!" Bou-san and Ayako said at the same time, lessening the heavy atmosphere inside the room.

"Says the couple who keeps on denying their undying love for one another," Yasuhara dramatically said, earning death glares from both Ayako and Bou-san.

"If you're quite finished, you may go back to your rooms," Naru commanded as he sat down in front of a monitor.

"We'll take the first watch, Naru," Madoka and Lin volunteered.

Naru just raised his eyebrow.

"We'll just wake you and Mai at around 2 am. Will that be alright?" Madoka asked.

"Okay!" Mai answered while Naru just nodded.

Sharing a room with Naru and Yasuhara felt weird. Well, technically she was also sharing with Lin and Madoka, but since they took the first shift, Mai was left alone with Yasuhara and Naru. Mai was told that she was to occupy the bed between Naru and Yasuhara's. That in itself already felt awkward.

"Naru! This feels weird!" Mai whined as she awkwardly sat in her bed. Yasuhara was already lying down while Naru was reading a book.

"Why does it feel weird?" Naru glanced at her.

"Well, I'm the only girl in the room for starters!" Mai answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Well, it was, but not to Naru.

"I'm not going to do anything to you. But Yasuhara on the other hand, I'm not so sure," Naru calmly said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mai protested as Yasuhara waggled his eyebrows teasingly.

"Later, Mai-chan," Yasuhara teased.

"Naru!" Mai exclaimed in protest.

"Fine, fine. Yasuhara, if you do something to Mai, I'll either throw you off the cliff or give you to the spirits as a sacrifice," Naru coolly stated.

Yasuhara just laughed and proceeded to sleep.

After a few moments, Naru felt Mai's stare at him.

"What is it, Mai?" Naru asked her as he closed the book he was reading.

"I'm just worried about Ayako, with her being the target and all," Mai replied as she played with the hem of her blanket.

"Shouldn't you be worried more about yourself? After all, you've been kidnapped," Naru said the last part in a hard tone.

"I know Ayako can handle herself. But still though, I can't help it,"

"Do you actually think that Bou-san will let the spirit get her way with Ayako?" Naru asked her.

Mai shook her head with a gentle smile.

"Then there's nothing to worry about. Go to sleep, Mai," Naru said and started reading the book again.

With Naru's presence ensuring Mai's safety, she immediately fell asleep.

_This time, Gene was already waiting for her in the rooftop of the hotel. He was casually leaning against the railing, his hair still perfect despite the rain. On the other hand, Mai looked like a drowned rat. _

_"Gene! What is up with this setting?" Mai smiled as she walked towards him._

_"Dramatic effects," Gene answered as he hugged Mai. _

_"I have to tell you something, Mai," he told her._

_"What is it?"_

_"You're in danger,"_

_"How does that surprise me?" Mai chuckled as she looked at Gene. But his face was dead serious._

_"I thought Ayako was the one who should be more careful?" Mai asked, worried about Gene's expression._

_"She has Bou-san with her. And she knows how to defend herself. You, on the other hand..." Gene trailed off._

_"I have Naru with me," Mai smiled at Gene._

_"Yes, you have Naru with you. You must _never_ stay out of his sight. Kinzaki Hina already knows that you are the weakness of Naru," he told her with a genuine smile._

_"Hey! What do you mean that I'm Naru's weakness?" Mai was already blushing. _

_"You'll have to find that one out yourself. Take care, Mai..." Gene said before he disappeared. _

Mai felt someone tugging the blanket off of her. She struggled to keep it in place, but the one pulling them was far more superior in terms of strength. Mai grumbled before she started kicking, hoping that whoever was pulling her blanket would just go away. Unfortunately, her foot was caught in someone's hand.

"I didn't know you were so violent in your sleep," Naru said, and Mai could already hear the smirk in his tone.

"Go away, you damned narcissist!" Mai groggily said as she pulled her foot back. This time, the blanket was yanked off her with ease on Naru's part. Since Mai wanted to sleep so badly, she just closed her eyes and disregarded the fact that she had no blanket.

"Mai. Come on, do you really want to get stuck in a room with Lin and Madoka?" Naru told her.

"Just five more minutes, Naru. Be a saint for once," Mai muttered as she hugged a pillow close to her body.

"Fine, I'll just carry you to the base, then," Naru stated and then lifted Mai effortlessly.

Now, Mai was fully awake.

"Naru! Let me down this instant!" Mai cried out as she thrashed in Naru's arms.

"Keep quiet or you'll wake the whole hotel," Naru calmly answered, not even bothered by Mai's movements.

Naru kicked the door open, revealing Madoka and Lin, who were smiling at them.

"It's not what you think!" Mai defensively said as she saw them.

"Have fun in there, Mai!" Madoka waved at them while Lin was trying his best not to laugh. Naru ignored them and walked straight to the base.

- Day 3: 2:16 am -

Mai was pouting on the chair beside Naru with her arms crossed in her chest. Meanwhile, Naru was reading some articles while glancing at the monitors once in a while. The rain outside still poured heavily, and once in a while the thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, making Mai visibly flinch.

"Naru," Mai tugged on Naru's sleeve with a sleepy look on her face.

"What?" Naru asked her in a soft tone.

"Please close the curtains," Mai pleaded as she rubbed her eyes.

Sensing that the cause of her troubles was the thunder and lightning, Naru sighed then walked towards the windows to close the curtains. Mai mumbled a 'thank you' before staring at the monitors again.

"I want to go to Antarctica," Mai suddenly said, making Naru raise his eyebrow at her.

"You're just sleepy," Naru pointed out. Mai nodded like a child.

"I want to have a pet penguin," Mai added and looked at Naru.

"You're not a morning person, are you?" Naru asked her.

"But it's 2 am! And after we finish this case, I'm going to go see the penguins in Ocean Park," Mai smiled, feeling lightheaded.

"You were the one who told Madoka that it was okay to wake you up at 2 am," Naru told her groggily.

"You're not a morning person either," Mai pointedly said.

"At least I hide it better than you," he shot back.

"Hey, Naru, what's that?" Mai asked as she observed the monitor showing the hot springs. Naru followed her gaze. In the hot spring, a woman dressed in a red kimono was staring directly in the camera, grinning wickedly at them. And then the screen turned black.

[Author's Note]

Hello there, everyone! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter like I did! Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! I actually get motivated to write more because of it :) And don't be afraid to pm me, okay? Whatever it is, I'll surely reply!

P.S. I made a tumblr account: starkov-ed. , so feel free to follow me! :D


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters. :)

[Chapter Five]

As soon as the screen turned black, the rest of the monitors followed. Mai felt as if she was glued to her seat, not able to move due to the shock. Naru was still glaring at the screen, as if daring the woman in red kimono to reappear. If that was the case, Mai hoped that the woman wouldn't make another show. Fortunately, she didn't. After a few seconds, Naru stood up and started pacing around the room. He seemed to be contemplating on whether he should call Lin or not, since the woman just appeared on the screen but didn't do any harm. Well, except for all the monitors shutting down.

"Naru, what was that about?" Mai asked in a small voice, turning around to face him.

"She's taunting us," Naru answered as he glanced at her.

"Taunting?"

"Yes, Mai, taunting. It means that she wants us to go to the hot springs which is obviously a trap," Naru explained to her in a slightly annoyed tone.

Mai puffed her cheeks at this.

"I knew what _taunting_ meant!" Mai defensively told him.

"Congratulations," Naru nonchalantly answered.

Mai groaned in frustration.

"What do we do then?" said Mai as she stood up to stretch her legs.

"We go to the hot springs,"

"What?"

"Are you deaf, Mai?"

"I heard what you said! But why on earth would we go there? You said it was a trap!" Mai's cheeks were already red.

"If you don't want to come with me, it's alright," Naru casually told her. Jerk Naru was back.

Mai didn't answer. She knew that Naru wanted to solve this case immediately, but that was not an excuse to walk into a trap. On the other hand, Naru sensed her hesitation and sighed. He needed to explain again.

"Mai, of course I'll have to inform Lin and Madoka about this first. After all, we might get some new information straight from the source," he explained to Mai, who was still looking at him as if he had two heads.

"But that would be dangerous! I'm sure that Lin wouldn't approve!" Mai cried out.

Naru ignored her. He just went out of the base and left Mai inside.

Typical Naru.

Mai was about to follow him out, but when she took a step, the monitors behind her suddenly lit up. Mai stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around. The monitors were all showing the same area: the hot springs. And the woman in red kimono was staring at her.

She screamed.

In a matter of seconds, the door slammed open, revealing Naru and the rest. Ayako immediately held Mai in her arms while Lin and Yasuhara tried to deactivate all the cameras for a short while. Naru leaned against the wall beside Mai, relieved that she was alright. He only left for a while to inform Lin about their supposed to be trip to the hot springs, and as soon as he was about to return to the base, Mai screams. And of course, that was more than enough to send him running back to the base.

"Who on earth is that?" Bou-san asked as he sat down on Mai's other side.

"Kinzaki Hina," Masako and John answered in unison.

"We sort of have a problem here," Yasuhara commented as he glanced back at the others.

"What is it?" Naru asked.

"We already disabled and disconnected the cameras, but it's not working. Every monitor still shows the same area," Lin replied, making Mai feel even more terrified.

Kinzaki Hina's stare was piercing, having the same effect as if she really was in front of them. Then she was suddenly walking towards the camera, all the while grinning maliciously. She only stopped when her face was directly in front of the camera, making Yasuhara take a step back. The volume was suddenly cranked up by some unknown force, and Kinzaki Hina's voice was heard.

_He will only betray you. You're not worth it. He's going to find someone better. He'll cast you away as if you meant nothing. All of you will die with the one-_

All the monitors shut down and Kinzaki Hina's voice can no longer be heard. Apparently, Madoka had pulled out all the plugs from its socket.

"Oops," Madoka said as she smiled.

"That's certainly one way to turn them off," Bou-san allowed himself to chuckle lightly.

"Naru, are you still going to go there?" Madoka asked him.

"We have no choice. We need more information to quickly solve this case," Naru replied as he opened a folder nearby and started reading.

Mai already calmed down, but she had a nagging feeling that Kinzaki Hina's words were for her. It was almost as if she was provoking Mai; as if Kinzaki Hina knew about her confession being turned down.

"I'll go with you," Mai found herself saying.

"No," Naru immediately answered.

"But Naru-"

"No, Mai. And that's final," he cut her off with a hard glare.

"I'm afraid I agree with Naru on this one, Mai. It's too dangerous," John told her in a soft tone.

"Mai-chan, on the bright side, you can continue sleeping," Madoka tried to cheer up as she smiled gently.

Mai wanted to argue with Naru, but seeing as the rest of the team agrees with him, she immediately felt defeated. The others looked at her in concern, but it couldn't be helped since Mai always got injured somehow.

"We're just protecting you, Mai," Bou-san told her as he ruffled her hair.

Mai pouted but otherwise did as she was told. Ayako placed a pillow on one side of the couch and Masako grabbed a blanket from a nearby cabinet. Madoka tucked her in and playfully pinched Mai's cheeks.

"So who's going with you then?" Mai asked Naru though she wasn't looking at him.

"I'll take John-san and Hara-san with me. The rest of you, go back to sleep," Naru commanded as he closed the folder he was holding.

"Who will stay here?" Madoka asked Naru while glancing at Mai, whose eyes were already starting to close.

"Matsuzaki-san and Bou-san," Naru answered before leaving.

- 3:42 am -

When Naru, John and Masako arrived at the hot springs, Kinzaki Hina was nowhere to be seen. There were four hot springs all in all, each having a different color according to their heat level. There was also a balcony on the other side, which was an open area with the view of the city below since the roof only covered the hot springs, and through that open area did the trio realize that the thunderstorm was worse than they thought.

"There's something wrong here," Masako started as she walked slowly around the covered area.

"What do you mean?" Naru asked as he too, surveyed the area.

"Someone died here. And I mean in a violent manner," Masako answered.

Lightning flashed, causing them to be temporarily blinded by the sudden light. A few seconds later, there were already markings on the wall that were previously not there. The hot springs were all suddenly colored red, or it could've been blood. But by the expression on Masako's face, the red substance was clearly blood. She started to lose her balance but luckily, John caught her.

"I don't know how she's doing this," Masako managed to say in a light tone.

"Hara-san, we need to get you back to the base," John told her as he carried Masako in her arms.

"John-san, please see to it that Matsuzaki-san tends to her needs," Naru commanded as John nodded and left the area.

Naru examined the words written on the walls with blood. They were written haphazardly, some letters overlapping with the others. He had a hard time deciphering the letters, but he could clearly make out some of the phrases.

_'She will die painfully'_

_'You are the cause of her pain'_

_'You're not worth it'_

_'You don't deserve her'_

At these words, one name came to his mind.

_Mai_.

She always got hurt because of him. He was always the cause of her sadness and pain. He seems to be incapable of making Mai happy. And that was the reason why he could never allow himself to be with her. And after all, _he was not Gene. _

"Why did you not bring the girl instead?" a male voice broke Naru out of his train of thoughts.

Naru turned to see the ghost of a man standing behind him. The stranger had dark wavy hair nearly reaching his neck, lazy green eyes that were not unkind and a confident smile that carried a vibrant aura around him.

"The girl? Who are you talking about?" Naru asked him as he raised an eyebrow.

"The cute one with brown eyes. Or the one with the red hair," the man answered in a smug tone.

Naru just smirked.

"I prefer the red-haired girl though," the man moved towards the blood-filled hot springs.

"Shiro Tomoki," Naru stated as he casually leaned against the wall.

"She's looking for you. Are you even aware of that?" Naru asked Shiro as he faced the balcony.

"I couldn't help her," the aura around Shiro shifted suddenly as he spoke. His head was lowered and his eyes were hooded, a look that Naru was painfully familiar with.

"What do you mean by that? After all, she killed you,"

"I deserved it. I was the one who betrayed her," Shiro answered forlornly.

"Really? How so?" Naru asked, knowing that he was already pushing his luck.

'I should've brought Mai here. She's perfect for these kinds of things,' Naru thought as he remembered Mai pleading.

"Nice try. You'll have to work for it. By the way, you shouldn't be here," Shiro replied as he suddenly vanished.

Lightning flashed once more, and when it receded, all the traces of blood were gone.

- 4:55 am -

Naru, having no other choice, walked back to the base in silent contemplation. What had Shiro meant by 'you shouldn't be here'? Who was his mistress? He was sure that it was Kinzaki Hina who brought him to the hot springs, but instead of her appearance, it was Shiro Tomoki who showed up. Something wasn't adding up, in a horribly wrong way. As he walked, the dark hallway suddenly seemed darker; the rooms empty. But that wasn't the case. The hotel was almost full because of the stranded guests.

He thought of the look on Shiro's face a while ago. Longing, desperation and sadness were very evident. Naru knew that there was a missing link, and he had to find out what it was before the case goes horribly wrong.

He was about to open the door leading to the base when he heard muffled sounds inside. He was sure that only Mai, Ayako and Bou-san were inside, as John and Masako had probably returned to their room. Naru immediately opened the door, hoping that the three were only playing some sort of a prank.

But no. He was so wrong.

Inside the base, Ayako and Bou-san lay unconscious on one side, while a woman held Mai by the throat on the far side of the room against the window. Mai was trying to break free, but the woman had lifted her up, causing her efforts to be futile. She was trying to tell Naru something, but her words were already incoherent. Also, her lips were turning blue from the lack of oxygen.

Naru sprinted to where the woman was; ready to use his powers, but about a meter away, the woman turned to him and grinned wickedly.

"Take one more step and I'll end her worthless life," Kinzaki Hina threatened, effectively stopping Naru dead on his tracks.

"_Let her go_," Naru ordered with such force that even Kinzaki Hina's eyes widened slightly. But she quickly recovered.

Kinzaki Hina faced Mai once more, her hand tightening and then loosening on Mai's neck, as if playing a game. Naru's hands were clenched into fists on his side, but he knew better than to kill the woman. After all, if he used his powers, Mai would also be affected since she was directly in his line of fire.

"_You should've been here_," Kinzaki Hina purred before jumping through the window, effectively shattering the glass, bringing Mai along with her.

[Author's Note]

Yaaaay! Cliffhanger! Thank you so much for those wonderful reviews! :D This chapter was sort of written in a rush, and I slightly had writer's block, so sorry if it's kind of boring. I promise to write a better chapter next time! :D Also, this chapter hasn't been edited yet, so I'm sorry if there are grammatical errors :)


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters. :)

[Chapter Six]

Mai felt Kinzaki Hina's hand disappear from its hold on her neck, immediately enabling possibly the whole hotel to hear her scream in full force. Her arms were flailing wildly as she tried her best to prepare herself for the fall. She caught a glimpse of Naru poised somehow elegantly at the ledge of the broken window, probably to jump down after her to break her fall.

But he was too late.

It was a good thing that Kaname was there to _catch_ Mai. Kaname was just passing by to patrol the hotel grounds when suddenly, a flying Mai came to his view. So he did the only logical thing to do: cushion Mai's fall. Quite literally. He ended up on the ground with Mai sprawled across his chest. Kaname's arms were wrapped protectively around Mai's head, so that she wouldn't hit it on the hard ground. On the other hand, Naru landed perfectly; after all, he only jumped from the second floor.

"Mai, are you alright?" Kaname asked as he looked at her.

"A few cuts, but I'm fine. It's you who should be worried about yourself! Your right cheek is bleeding!" Mai immediately stood up carefully since it was still raining hard.

Kaname just smiled at Mai as he also stood up. The other members of the SPR were already rushing down to help the two. Naru just looked at the scene then left. Lin and John were the first ones to reach them, while Yasuhara and Madoka tended to both Bou-san and Ayako. Despite Mai's protests, Lin carried her back to the base with John and Kaname trailing behind them. Naru was seated facing the monitors, as if he hadn't jumped from the second floor window at all.

"How are Bou-san and Ayako?" Mai asked Lin as she held the towel around her comfortably.

"In their room with Osamu-san and Madoka, but still unconscious. Although they should wake up in a short while," Lin answered as he treated Mai's cuts.

"And Masako?" Mai continued to ask.

"She's also in the room, resting," Lin replied.

"What happened here while I was at the hot springs?" Naru asked coldly, not even bothering to look at her.

Mai was surprised by Naru's tone, but after a few seconds, she answered, "You left with Masako and John-san, and then soon the rest followed until I was left with Ayako and Bou-san. Then suddenly, all the cameras lit up again, and it showed your location. We watched you talk with Shiro Tomoki, so we were unaware that Kinzaki Hina was already inside the base. By the time we felt her presence, it was already too late. Bou-san and Ayako tried to protect me, but she was just too strong! As soon as Bou-san and Ayako were out of the way, she was just suddenly in front of me and told me that _he would betray me_, but when I refused to answer, she attacked me. And that was when you came in..."

"What should we do about this, Shibuya-san?" John politely asked.

"For now, you all need to rest. We will continue planning our course of action for this in the morning," Naru replied as he started typing on his laptop.

"Hitsuga-san, what were you doing outside at 2:30 am?" Naru asked after a few moments of silence.

"I was patrolling the hotel grounds. It has been a habit of mine since the deaths of our three female guests," Kaname calmly answered, although he can clearly see Naru's death glares aimed at him.

"Anyhow, thank you for cushioning Mai's fall," John thanked Kaname, sensing that Naru would never do it. Of course Naru wouldn't. After all, he was too busy annihilating Kaname with his glares.

"Ah, that was nothing. Thank you for treating my wound, Brown-san. And Mai, please stay out of trouble!" Kaname said before leaving the base, not wanting the situation to reach the point wherein Mai's boss would have to throw him out the window.

"What about you, Naru? Are you alright?" Mai asked Naru as she stood up from the couch as Lin finished treating her cuts.

Instead of answering her, Naru just instructed everyone to go back to their respective rooms to get some sleep.

"You're not going to sleep?" Lin and Mai both asked in unison.

"No," Naru firmly answered.

"Then I'm not going back to the room either," Mai stated as she sat down on the chair beside Naru.

"You're being unreasonable, Naru. Do I have to physically drag you back to the room? Osamu-san and Brown-san can watch the monitors for now," for once, Lin seemed to be affected by the stress brought upon the situation and a narcissist named Kazuya Shibuya.

Naru glared defiantly at Lin, but after a few moments, sighed and stood up.

"Fine," Naru practically growled and left the base.

Back in their room, the atmosphere was somehow heavy and awkward. Mai knew that Naru was ignoring her, but she had no idea what the reason was. Lin was probably sleeping, but Naru was still up, reading a book.

"Naru? Are you mad at me?" Mai asked Naru, her voice light so that she won't bother Lin.

He didn't answer.

- Day 3: 8:46 pm -

The only times Naru had actually talked to Mai was when he asked for tea. Exactly four times per hour. But other than that, Naru acted as if Mai was invisible. She tried to talk to him about the case, but he would only hand her the folder he was reading, as if everything she was wondering about was inside it. And Mai was wondering about why Naru was ignoring her, which obviously couldn't be found inside the folder. After a few more failed attempts, Mai finally gave up.

"Mai-chan, why do you look so down? Did Naru do something again?" Ayako asked her as Mai sighed for the nth time. Mai was seated in between Ayako and Bou-san on the couch, while Masako and John were walking around the hotel. Yasuhara and Madoka were still gathering information.

"He's not talking to me," Mai honestly answered as she leaned her head back against the couch.

"Naru-bou! What did you do?" Bou-san asked as he looked over at Naru, who was seated beside Lin in front of the monitors.

"I did nothing to her," was Naru's terse reply.

"It's fine! I'm just going to reflect on my previous actions. Maybe I really was in the wrong," Mai tried to tell them in a cheerful voice, and was miserably failing.

_Room 733._

Mai suddenly perked up, thinking that she heard a woman's voice.

"Mai? Is something wrong?" Bou-san asked her while the others (even Naru), turned to look at her.

"No! Nothing's wrong! I just forgot something in the room! I'll be right back!" Mai quickly excused herself, assuring the others that no spirit would attack her.

Mai hurriedly shut the door to the base behind her and started to run to the seventh floor. She hastily looked behind her to check if someone followed her, but luckily no one did. As she passed by a big window, she could see the rain still pouring hard, effectively trapping several guests in the hotel. She could only hope that no one occupied room 733. Mai knew that it could be a trap, but it wasn't Kinzaki Hina's voice she heard. By the time she reached the seventh floor, she was already breathing hard. She quickly located the said room.

As she opened the door, she saw that the room was probably unused since dust lightly covered the furniture. It shouldn't have been possible, since the hotel maids would immediately clean the rooms vacated by the guests.

"So this is where you ran off to," a familiar voice caused Mai to turn around. Naru was there, leaning against the doorframe.

"Naru! I can explain!" Mai fidgeted as Naru walked towards her.

Then the door suddenly shut behind him. Naru tried to open it, but it didn't even budge. They were trapped.

"What were you thinking? Going here alone?" Naru's tone was raised, effectively scaring Mai even more than the ghost.

"I didn't want to bother you!" Mai defensively answered.

"If something happened to you, then you would've been a liability to us!" as soon as Naru said it, he knew he was going to regret those words. Mai stood frozen in front of him, trying her best not to cry.

_Liability. _The word kept on repeating inside Mai's head. But she knew that now was not the time for that.

"I didn't ask you to come here, Shibuya-san. I can handle myself," Mai told him with a voice devoid of emotion as she turned away from him.

If Naru was surprised by the sudden formality, his face didn't show it. Before he could answer her, a female figure materialized in front of Mai. The woman seemed guilty of doing something horrible, but she clearly wasn't Kinzaki Hina.

"My dear, I'm terribly sorry this had to happen," the woman said, pertaining to Naru and Mai's current situation.

"Eh? You did nothing wrong!" Mai exclaimed as she tried to give the woman a small smile.

Naru stepped forward and gently positioned Mai behind him as he examined the woman.

"Who are you?" Naru asked her in a nonchalant tone.

"Why do men always do that? They act recklessly, claiming that they're only doing it for the sake of the one they love, but in the process, they have no idea that they're already hurting that special someone? Is it an inborn trait?" the woman ignored Naru as she looked at Mai.

"What do you mean? Shibuya-san and I aren't-"

"That's the thing! They also tend to hide their feelings until it's too late!" the woman elegantly cut her off.

"And to answer the man's question, my name is Shinami Yukino," she glanced at Naru with a look of disappointment.

"Then, Shinami-san, please tell me why you called me here," Mai politely asked her.

"Just call me Yukino, dear. I really loved him, you know. To the extent that I let him go because he loved someone else. I knew that he was only using me, but that short time with him already made me feel as if I was the happiest woman on earth," Yukino told Mai with a longing look.

"By _him,_ do you mean Shiro Tomoki?" Naru questioned her in a soft tone, as if he could relate to Yukino.

"It had always been him after all. They once said that for the one you love, you would be able to sacrifice almost everything. I didn't believe them at first, but apparently, I sacrificed my happiness for his own," Yukino answered as her figure sat down on the bed.

"Yukino, if you don't mind me asking, why haven't you moved on from this place?" Mai asked Yukino as she took a step towards the bed.

"Hina is not letting me go. She's making me suffer," Yukino answered dejectedly.

"She tried to kill me not too long ago," Mai told her as she lightly traced the bruise on her neck.

"Mai-chan, please stay away from the hot springs, okay? I don't want you to end up with her previous victims," Yukino said in an almost motherly tone.

Mai nodded obediently.

Yukino faced Naru and said, "Make yourself useful and don't let her out of your sight. Or better yet, _don't let her go_," to which Naru replied by looking away from her.

"That's not really necessary! I can take care of myself!" Mai started rambling as her cheeks turned red.

Yukino just smiled warmly at her before vanishing.

To say that the walk back to the base was awkward is a complete understatement. Mai was walking at least two meters ahead of Naru, refusing to walk beside him. In silence, she thought of Yukino's words earlier.

_They once said that for the one you love, you would be able to sacrifice almost everything. _

Happiness wasn't the only thing Yukino sacrificed for love. She also sacrificed her life.

As they walked inside the base, the other members could already feel the atmosphere between Naru and Mai. Hell, even a passing guest would be able to tell that something happened between the two. Madoka and Lin exchanged a worried glance, as did Bou-san and Ayako. Mai sat down between Ayako and Bou-san, who were both concerned about her.

"What happened this time? You told us that you were only going to the room," Ayako asked her.

"We got information!" Mai gleefully announced.

"This just confirms that Shiro Tomoki really did have a mistress; a woman named Shinami Yukino. Apparently, she can't rest because Kinzaki Hina isn't letting her," Naru explained to the group.

"Wait. Just where did you go?" Bou-san inquired as he scratched the back of his head in confusion.

"Room 733," Mai and Naru answered in unison, somehow thickening the already gloomy atmosphere.

"How are we going to exorcise Kinzaki Hina? She's far too strong for us," John said to break the awkward silence.

"She doesn't even appear randomly. We need some sort of bait," Yasuhara shared his thoughts to the group.

"I can act as bait. After all, Yukino warned me not to go to the hot springs. This means that she's waiting for me there, right?" Mai volunteered, earning the concerned looks of the members.

"But Mai! I won't let you do such a reckless thing!" Madoka stood up in protest.

"Mai! What on earth are you thinking?" Ayako soon followed Madoka.

"Not going to happen!" Bou-san furiously told her.

"Taniyama-san, please don't put yourself in that situation," John reacted worriedly.

"Mai, be reasonable!" Masako's voice was slightly shaking.

"Naru! Say something to her! Lock her up in a room or something!" Madoka cried out desperately since Mai stood her ground.

Mai just looked down, knowing all too well that it was a dangerous plan, but it was the only way she could think of to lure Kinzaki Hina out of hiding. The rest of the SPR members were waiting for Naru to discourage Mai from going through with her plan.

"Just what are you thinking, Taniyama-san?" Naru's voice was enough to shut everyone up. Even Masako was surprised with the sudden formality.

"Shibuya-san, I'm only trying to lure Kinzaki Hina out of hiding so that we could get rid of her," Mai answered softly, still looking down.

"We're not even sure how to get rid of a strong spirit like her! Quit placing yourself in dangerous situations!"

"It's not my fault that I'm always the one being targeted!"

"Matsuzaki-san was also targeted, but unlike you, she's not stupid enough to volunteer as bait!"

"Maybe I am stupid! But if we don't get rid of her immediately, she would continue to hurt everyone else just to get her revenge! I hate being helpless in situations wherein the people I care about get involved with this problem! We all know that she wants me. I was just thinking that if she takes out her revenge on me, she wouldn't hurt anyone else!" Mai cried out in desperation.

"What about the people who care about you, Mai? You're too busy sacrificing yourself that you forget to think of the people who are doing everything they can to protect you!" Naru finally dropped the formality as he practically yelled at her.

"If by sacrificing myself means protecting my _family_, then it's just a small price to pay!" Mai yelled back, tears welling up in her eyes.

"And that's exactly why you're the team's liability! You always put yourself in danger! Do you even know that if something happened to you, we wouldn't be able to forgive ourselves?" Naru took a step towards her, effectively trapping her against the wall. The other members of SPR nodded their agreement.

"But what else can I do? I was only trying to help," Mai whispered as she closed her eyes while furiously wiping the tears away with the back of her hand.

"I'm sure we'll think of something, Mai-chan," Madoka stepped forward and hugged Mai to her chest. The others soon followed, all comforting the crying Mai.

Naru was still breathing hard, but his chest painfully constricted when Mai purposely placed herself in such a dangerous position. He knew that anything and everything could go wrong if they followed her plan, and if something happened to her, he wouldn't have been able to forgive himself. Also, Naru had to admit that he did feel something _foreign_ several hours ago when he saw Mai protectively held by Kaname after breaking her fall from the window.

He was already having a hard time figuring out those _horrible things _called _feelings_.

- Day 3: 10:54 pm -

Ayako, Bou-san, Masako and John were already resting inside their room while Mai and Naru were alone in theirs. This happened since Yasuhara, Madoka and Lin volunteered to watch the monitors, and partly because they wanted to give some time for Naru and Mai to talk. Mai laid down on the bed beside Naru's, her eyes still red from crying. She shifted so that she was facing Naru, but his back was to her, so Mai had no idea whether he was still awake or not.

It was still worth a try.

"Naru, I'm really sorry about what I said earlier," Mai said as she faced Naru's broad back.

For a long time, only silence could be heard, as was Mai and Naru's even breathing. Soon, Mai's eyes started to drop, already feeling tired from all the crying she did just moments ago. But before she fell asleep, she heard Naru's answer to her apology.

"Don't worry, Mai. I'll do everything I can to protect you."

[Author's Note]

There was drama involved there, but I hope it didn't bother you guys that much :) This chapter hasn't been edited yet, so sorry for my mistakes. Also, sorry if Naru was a bit OOC. I'm actually planning on adding some unexpected plot twists here and there, though not that much. Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! I really get inspired to write more just by reading them XD I hope that you continue to support my story!

Please read and review~ ^_^


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